Sicily the place to be after HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’

Sicily the place to be after HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’
By Zach Havard


If you watched HBO’s hit show, ‘The White Lotus’ and are thinking of a trip to Sicily you aren’t alone. Marketers worldwide have jumped at the opportunity to promote travel to the gorgeous Italian hotspot.

According to iStock’s visual GPS insights program, which analyses real time visual trends and popular images, Sicily has been a top content search with a massive 350 per cent increase in November, around the time season two of the show was airing.

Dubbed ‘The White Lotus effect,’ the show has also increased the broader idea of an island getaway with destinations like Sardinia and Greek islands trending  higher than usual for Australian businesses during this period.

The data also revealed the most popular visuals downloaded by brands on travel and Italy are aerial images of the iconic Taormina coastline, not dissimilar to the White Lotus cinematography of the Sicilian beaches and white and blue parasols.

Look familiar?

Isola Bella, Taormina. (iStock – VanSky)

“Many Australian travellers turn to popular shows like The White Lotus as their sources of travel inspiration, so it’s no surprise that brands are using it to their advantage,” Kate Rourke, head of creative insights, Asia pacific, Getty images and iStock, said.

“As many people return to work and start daydreaming about their next big holiday, which is the upcoming June – July school holiday period in Australia, it appears travel brands are using the iconic seaside visuals of Sicily seen in The White Lotus in campaigns to lure holidaymakers.”

It’s not only travel brands in Australia who are using the Emmy-award winning show to reach and engage new customers. According to the data, searches on “Sicily” are also trending above expected among Australian businesses in the food & beverage industry, which suggests that brands could be tapping into the cult following of millions of The White Lotus fans to market Italian-styled food, wine and hospitality experiences.

“Brands want to be a part of the cultural zeitgeist and engage in cultural and social conversations in a genuine, authentic way with their audiences,” Rourke said.

“Visual storytelling is one way to do this and we often see this through the creative use of gifs, memes and visuals tied to popular TV shows and movies.”

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